Evaluating Network-Level Functional and Neurovascular Alterations in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Comparative Resting-State SAGE fMRI Pilot Study

Background/Objectives: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is frequently associated with persistent cognitive and neurobehavioral symptoms despite the absence of abnormalities on conventional structural imaging. Increasing evidence suggests that these symptoms arise from distributed functional and neurovascular alterations rather than focal damage. The goal of this pilot study was to investigate network-level functional alterations in subacute mTBI by evaluating resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) combined with spin- and gradient-echo (SAGE) imaging to compare contrast-specific patterns across canonical resting-state networks.